Missourians behind National Guard "Blast Tracker" program

The national commander of the Army National Guard credits his sister for much of the movement to make sure people with wartime head injuries don’t fall through the cracks.

Lieutenant General Clyde Vaughn, a native of Dexter, has been pushing the program that keeps track of all service members exposed to blasts from improvised explosive devices or other explosions, even if they do not show any injuries.

Vaughn admits he’s been influenced by his sister, Susan, who was director of the Missouri Head Injury Council for 17 years. She says a record of those who were nearby but do not appear to be injured can pay off years later.

She asks, "How can we make sure that we don’t miss these folks who are not identified and then they’re out of the system" when problems develop? General Vaughn says people who leave the military might not have the same easy access to treatment and care as their active duty military counterparts can get through military facilities that have personnel familiar with blast-related problems, especially those that show up as post-traumatic injuries. The Guard has set up the system. Vaughn is pushing to spread it throughout the services.